Airfix 1/48 P-40B Warhawk Flown by Flight Leader Robert R.T Smith, 3rd Squadron AVG, Kunming, China, June 1942. Built OOB.

All markings painted on using Miracle paint Masks.

excellent!

And that base is giving it a specila touch.

The disadvantage of looking at all this is that I am starting to feel really clumsey again

Uau!

Mal, it looks awesome!
Very well painted as were the other 4 models.
Now, using your masks, tell me just how to achieve a shark mouth that looks that perfect? My use of mask has been kinda irregular, especially when several colours are used in irregular surfaces such has this case.

Cheers
Pedro

Very nice, Mal!
That one is my favourite out of the 4 builds.
Although the others are beautifully done as well!!
Thanks for sharing.

Thomas

Mal,
Just an outstanding build and finish. Your masks are certainly the top of the line.

Joel

Extraordinary, Mal!

Your masks are amazing. Tell us what went into painting the flying tiger emblem?

Thanks guys
I aim to write an article for Aeroscale about the masking and painting when I return from Scale Modelworld. At the moment I am cillin' before packing to leave early tomorrow for the show, it's been a close run thing getting this done in time, I also had to make some millionaires shortbread!
So I will answer all questions over this build when I return

That looks awesome, Mal.

Mal, yet another outstanding build! Like you, I tend to restrain my weathering of aircraft, armor is another matter. I think that most aircraft in WWII did not see long enough service to get really heavily weathered, there are exceptions to that of course, but I think generally that is true. Needless to say, I really like your weathering!

Ernest

Beautiful job Mal and the markings , well what can say other then awesome . The base really ties it all together .
How was the kit to build ?



Terri

Nice one Mal!

Lovely job! Looking at photos of the real thing, I think the positions of the fuselage roundels were also masked off - it's not as obvious as on the wings, but you can make out the "ghost" circle particularly on the starboard side.

All the best

Rowan

Thanks all

The model failed to earn anything in the competition at Telford There was another model entered using the kit decals and the 2 models looked entirely different. The 2 class tables were separated by a fire door and when I went back to have a look after judging the other model had been moved to the other table. I don't know who moved it but I like to think that mine intimidated the other modeller slightly, so he moved it? So a moral victory, maybe

Terri, the kit builds very well indeed. very nice cockpit detail and everything fits well. The only issue would be the national markings on the decal sheet, wrong colour and with only 11 points on the stars. All a bit odd but, of course, not a problem for me.

Possibly Rowan, that would make sense but I could find any conclusive proof when I was drawing up the masks. The roundel would fall on the "Dark Earth" area and, as you say, maybe just overlap the green slightly on the starboard side, so it might not have been deemed necessary?

Hi Mal

Actually, you can see the edge of the "ghost" roundel on quite a few shots of the left side of the fuselage where it clips the green - not always in quite the same way, but that only underlines that either the original masks were not all cut identically or that their positioning didn't always quite match up.

From a Miracle Masks angle, if you just include a couple of circular masks, that'll allow modellers to include the "cut-out", or not, as they choose.

This side issue shouldn't distract from the fantastic job you've done.

All the best

Rowan

Well it certainly makes sense and if I did include a roundel shape for the fuselage it would make the camo masks even more unique I'll do further research. I assume that you know that the RAF roundels were included as "decals" in the crates that these aircraft were shipped in? Which I guess is why their positions are marked. That really does point to the fact that there would be similar positioning cut outs in the camo

I also assume that you know that the flying tiger was designed by Walt Disney and that the tiger was a decal too? So you could say that painting it on is wrong, but the reason for doing so was to see if it could be done

Hi Mal

Yes, the irony of painting the Disney decals wasn't lost on me.

All the best

Rowan

Mal, I did not know the Flying Tiger aircraft were decaled up. Hopefully they gloss coated correctly to avoid silvering!

Ernest

Well I don't know about that but maybe that is why they applied an olive green background to the Flying Tiger?